Miley Cyrus 'Embarrassed' by Vanity Fair

Miley Cyrus says that she’s “embarrassed” about semi-topless photographs of herself in the June 2008 issue of Vanity Fair.

“I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed,” says the 15-year-old Disney sensation, who posed with a blanket wrapped around her chest. “I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about.”

A Disney Channel spokesperson adds: “Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines.”

The Miley photos, which were taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair, hits newsstands next week.

UPDATE 1: People reports that Miley‘s parents left before the final picture at the photo shoot but her grandmother and teacher were there. Miley also added, “My goal in my music and my acting is always to make people happy. For Vanity Fair, I was so honored and thrilled to work with Annie. I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. The pictures of me on the Internet were silly, inappropriate shots. I appreciate all the support of my fans, and hope they understand that along the way I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect. I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone. Most of all, I have let myself down. I will learn from my mistakes and trust my support team. My family and my faith will guide me through my life’s journey.”

UPDATE 2: The New York Times has a piece on Miley‘s topless photo scandal. The Vanity Fair article was written by Bruce Handy and quotes Miley as saying, “Annie took, like, a beautiful shot, and I thought it was really cool. That’s what she wanted me to do, and you can’t say no to Annie.” She also said of the photo, “I think it’s really artsy. It wasn’t in a skanky way.”